The 24th edition of LIGHTFAIR® International (LFI®) set new all-time attendance and trade show records for its five-day run in Philadelphia April 21-25, according to Jeffrey L. Portman, Sr., president and chief operating officer of LFI managing partner AMC, Inc.

The LFI 2013 trade show floor covered a record 233,850 net square feet and spotlighted 538 exhibitors, including 91 first-time exhibiting companies and 90 manufacturers headquartered outside the U.S.

Attendance broke all previous records with 26,026 professional attendees registered.  The LFI 2013 attendee population included representatives from 79 countries.

LIGHTFAIR International is the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference.  It is sponsored by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and produced by AMC, Inc.  LIGHTFAIR International has been recognized by its ranking within the Trade Show News Network (TSNN) 2013 listing of the Top 25 Fastest-growing Trade Shows for Net Square Footage and 2012 listing of the Top 250 U.S. Trade Shows.  LFI has also been listed as a Trade Show Executive (TSE) 2012 Gold 100 honoree.

LFI 2013 attendees experienced the world’s global stage for innovation across the great spectrum of solutions from a diverse mix of world-renowned exhibitors that displayed the technologies and designs that will define the future.

The trade show featured the addition of two new product categories—solar power and software; the debut of the Exterior & Roadway Lighting Pavilion; and the expansion into Hall F of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The new Exterior & Roadway Lighting Pavilion and new conference track helped to advance the LFI 2013 performance with a focus on products and innovations specific to environmental lighting.

Hall F illuminated the future of new lighting technologies by featuring a well-known lineup of exhibitors.  Hall F gave attendees convenient access to extensive new product resources, a robust networking schedule in the Spotlight Lounge, the LFI Media Marketplace and in-hall broadcasts from LFI NEWS.

Highlighting the LFI 2013 performance was the LFI Innovation Awards®, which received 307 submissions from 156 different companies and spanned 15 categories that were judged by an independent panel of lighting professionals.Winning entries exemplified the best in innovative design and thinking. For a full list of the LFI Innovation Awards submissions and winners, please visit http://www.lightfair.com/lightfair/V40/lia/.

The LFI Conference offered 66 accredited courses and 200+ hours of educational programming covering topics in retrofitting, daylighting, LEDs, Net Zero, lighting design, controls, energy efficiency, exterior and roadway lighting, solar power and more.

Institute Keynote James Ramsey, principal of RAAD and the creator of the Lowline, shared the context and challenges of his concept for the creation of an underground garden in New York.  Show Keynote Vinod Khosla presented a cleantech investor’s perspective on how innovative approaches to lighting will transform this industry into potentially one of the most high-tech, creative and impactful sectors of the economy.

LFI Mobile App usage increased nearly 10 percent over last year, and the app offered enhanced features to assist attendees with a personalized schedule, tools to easily and quickly navigate the trade show floor and quick access to important event information to provide the ultimate on-site experience.  It was also one of the ways that attendees could enter the grand prize giveaway.

Attendees and exhibitors can stay connected to LFI on social media during the show and all throughout the year via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.  Videos released during the show on YouTube captured the LIGHTFAIR experience through highlights and attendee and exhibitor interviews.

For LIGHTFAIR® International 2013, the Pre-Conference program took place from Sunday, April 21 – Monday, April 22, 2013 and the LFI Trade Show and Conference from Tuesday, April 23 – Thursday, April 25, 2013.  For more information about LIGHTFAIR International, please visit www.lightfair.com.

LIGHTFAIR International is the world’s largest annual commercial and architectural lighting trade show and conference and is sponsored by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD).  The event is produced and managed by AMC, Inc.